HIES, the consumer protection organisation covering the installation of renewable energy and home energy efficiency products has, as part of the QA Schemes, been nominated as a Finalist in the Employer of the Year category at the BIBAs, Lancashire’s premier business Awards.
HIES CEO, Faisal Hussain, comments,
“Respect, integrity, teamwork and communication are the values that we embrace across the business, from the top down. Without them, we wouldn’t be the organisation that we are today, and I am delighted that this has been recognised through Lancashire’s business awards, the BIBAs. To be nominated as a Finalist in the Employer of the Year category means a lot to the entire team.”
There has been a focus within the company in recent years on creating a positive working culture which has a direct impact on almost every aspect of the operation. This is based on the simple logic that a happy workforce will show commitment to, and enthusiasm for, the job, which in turn leads to the best service levels, greater productivity and to a high standard, which ultimately benefits members.
The values that HIES lives by were chosen by the team, therefore they are a complete reflection of what the staff feel is important.
As Faisal explains,
“These values enable us to speak freely, listen properly, embrace differences, trust each other, work collaboratively and to know our contribution will be acknowledged and supported.”
This is reinforced by the fact that Senior Managers are not hidden away behind closed doors in big offices but are on the office floor with the rest of the team, creating an open environment where views are heard, and ideas encouraged.
HIES also has a rounded approach to recruitment, as Faisal explains,
“We are keen to only employ staff that fit with our values. While skills and experience are important, it is the ‘soft’ skills that make the difference to optimised team performance. We want everyone to be able to contribute to the business and openness, a willingness to be part of a team and collaboration are important in the people we have here.”
Training and development are also key for the organisation, not just to fill any skills gaps, but to ensure that each team member has a full experience of the business operations. The organisation recently employed an external accountant to train non-finance staff on reading and understanding company accounts so staff can better understand member issues. In a recent ‘Day in the Life’ exercise, staff found out exactly what being an installer entails.
As Faisal says,
“Only by putting yourself in your customers’ shoes can you fully understand their challenges and issues. By gaining this first-hand experience, we will be able to deliver a high-quality service with empathy and understanding.”
The organisation can demonstrate the success of its holistic approach to staff development and support in hard facts: Its staff turnover in 2022 was 0.02% – the UK average is 16.4%*. Its absenteeism rate in the same year was 0.5% against a UK reported average of 2.6%**.
Commenting on the impact this has, Faisal says,
“This means not only do we grow our business by creating new positions rather than having to fill existing ones, but there is also far more continuity within the business, which optimises our workflow. Yes, there is a time investment needed, and a financial one too for training and development but the cost of not making these investments would be immeasurable. We can’t wait to see if we are a winner at the BIBAs Awards in September – that would be a boost for the whole team.”
*Reference Cendex
**Reference Office for National Statistics
